It is well know that tires are an important part of most land vehicles. As the point of contact between the vehicle and the driving surface—in many applications, literally where the rubber meets the road—properly maintained tires are important for traction, stability, efficiency, handling, and occupant comfort. Tire maintenance on most passenger vehicles is easily accomplished by lifting the vehicle with a jack and then manually removing and replacing the tire/wheel combination.
Large industrial vehicles, however, are often equipped with tires that have diameters larger than human height and with tire/wheel combinations that weigh several thousand pounds. Such tires cannot be manually manipulated. Further, even with mechanical lifting assistance, it can be difficult and dangerous to maneuver very heavy tires into proper alignment with hubs, lugs, and other connections necessary for mounting on or removal from a vehicle. These difficulties are often exacerbated by a lack of working room around the tire and the need to work on a vehicle in the field rather than at a shop.
Several devices have been used to help with handling of very large tires and wheels. For example, rolling dollies have been used to support the tire and maneuver the tire by moving the dolly. However, these devices typically ride on relatively small wheels, making maneuvering over rough terrain difficult or impossible. Additionally, dolly devices have no or limited vertical leveling ability, making proper alignment of the tire/wheel difficult or impossible. These devices also are typically able to handle a small range of tire sizes.
Other tire handling devices comprise specialized large robotic arms with varying degrees of maneuverability. Robotic arm devices are very heavy and complicated and typically must be mounted to a dedicated heavy truck. As a result, the devices are very expensive and cannot be practically made available at all locations.
What is needed is a tire handling device that is capable of safely moving and manipulating large and heavy tires and wheels for a variety of vehicles. The tire handling device should be able to work with commonly-available hoisting equipment and be easily adjustable to allow safe and convenient servicing of a range of tire sizes.